Folks who residing in Italy and Spain will be able to see the new Piaggio’s MP3 three-wheeled hybrid scooter later this summer. The Li-Ion rechargeable batter ( required up to 4 hours of full charge) provides up to 12 miles of travel, but you can get more miles by rely on the MP3’s single cylinder, 250cc gas-powered engine. The Piaggio also include regenerative braking in the package and when used gas-powered engine, it’ll able to travel for up to 140 miles per gallon at low speeds. It’ll available in Europe later this year with a price range of €8,000 to €10,000.
Piaggio has said that a new hybrid version of its MP3 three-wheeled scooter will debut in Italy and Spain later this summer. We'd wager a guess that the €150 million in low-interest loans from the European Investment Bank to Piaggio late last year spurred on the vehicle's development somewhat. The new hybrid scooter will reportedly be capable of about 12 miles using nothing but electricity, but the MP3's single cylinder, 250cc 125cc gas-powered engine will be able to kick in and provide extended range when necessary. Regenerative braking is also included in the package.
The MP3's electric motor should also provide a usable boost in performance, especially at low speeds, all the while promoting fuel mileage that could be as high as 140 miles per gallon. A lithium ion battery pack will be used by the MP3 Hybrid, which will take up to 4 hours to recharge and likely accounts for a large portion of the scooter's expected price range of €8,000 to €10,000 when it goes on sale later this year in Europe.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Piaggio MP3 Hybrid 3-Wheel Scooter
Piaggio's Hybrid Vespa MP3
Piaggio MP3, the most awaited scooter by the makers of Vespa, is a three wheeled hybrid, provides safety, road grip and stability, incomparable with a two wheeler.
The two front wheels, tilt independently, maneuvering with much comfort on wet roads and tough riding conditions. It takes on cobble stone streets, tram tracks with the greatest of ease, remaining safe and stable all the while. The braking distance is 20% less any traditional scooter.
It doesn’t require a kickstand as it has a electro-hydraulic suspension locking system.
An environment friendly electric engine that has a linked gas engine runs non stop on electricity for 20 kms and then with a switch on the handle bar, it is turned into a combustion engine, which recharges the battery along with. Similarly, the electric engine mode can be turned on seamlessly with a switch on the handle bar.
Being in the gas mode one can still switch on to the electric mode, giving 85% more power. A mileage of 170 miles per gallon, the scooter can be charged at any plug in for 3 hrs and one can ride for 20 kms non stop on electric power.
CO2 emissions are 65% for the hybrid mode and 35% for the electric mode.
A battery charge indicator on the dashboard, the battery can be charged using 220V battery charger. The traction battery is neatly tucked under the seat with space enough to hold a helmet.
The long wait has ended and the powerful 250cc engine scooter is now available in stores for $7000, much higher than other scooters in this category. But the company is hopeful that with rising gasoline prices this model will attract a large number. Soon the comapany might upgrade it to a whooping 500cc.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Piaggio MP3 HYS
Always considering environmental problems, Piaggio presented a inovative solution destinated to change for ever the way we comute in crowded cities.
Year after year the cities become more and more crowded and with personal transporting becoming a must, somebody had to find a solution. You will probably thing that it was found together with the two wheels but not everybody will agree with you. Many people are scared of getting on two wheels and this is where Piaggio comes in.
After recently releasing Piaggio MP3, the President of Piaggio expressed its intentions to release a hybrid version of the vehicle that will result in providing solutions for congested cities.
The scooter is scheduled for release for the European at the end of the month and it will use Piaggio’ HYS technology.
The Piaggio HYS uses ingenious technical solution and still can be ridden with the usual controls (accelerator, brakes and additional handlebar commands) as well as a specific switch to choose one of four operating modes: standard hybrid, high-charge hybrid, low-charge hybrid and electric only.
In the first three modes the HYS manages power output from the two engines, thermal and electric, using a drive-by-wire system: the electronic management system (SGE) interprets the rider’s request for more torque and selects the assist ratio on the state of the system. During deceleration and braking, the control system recovers and accumulates power that is lost on normal vehicles with battery.
In standard hybrid mode the battery charge is maintained at optimum traction levels (batteries at 75%). In view of “electric only” use, the rider can, however, choose the high-charge hybrid function, geared to maximize the range of the electric motor (batteries at 95%).
On the other hand, if the rider wishes to recharge the batteries by plugging them into a power outlet, he can use the low-charge hybrid mode (batteries at 20%) to obtain maximum performance with minimum consumption.
In electric-only mode, the Piaggio HYS shuts down the combustion engine and turns into a silent, zero-emissions electric vehicle.
Drive-by-wire technology not only allows the control system to optimally manage the combined power output of the two engines but also “forces” the terminal engine to work when it can be most efficient, thereby reducing specific consumption, with obvious advantages in terms of lower consumption and emissions.
